A 67-year old Polish kayaker trying to cross the Atlantic Ocean and reach New Smyrna Beach is now just hoping to make it safely to Bermuda without a rudder.
On Wednesday, he was about 110 miles from Bermuda where he hopes to get the rudder fixed after it fell off his vessel February 13th, said Doba’s friend Piotr Chmielinski.
Powerful storms continue to wallop Aleksander “Olek” Doba as he attempts to paddle more than 5,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in a 21-foot kayak. His journey began in October 5th in Lisbon, Portugal.
As has been the case for the last month or so, Doba was again pushed back by storm winds Tuesday — this time about 15 or 20 miles — likely delaying his arrival in Bermuda to either Friday or Saturday, Chmielinski said.
“He wants to make it on his own so it will take him a little bit longer, and the weather looks good for the next few days,” said Chmielinski, also a renowned Polish explorer who traveled to Bermuda to assess Doba’s situation.
Doba’s expedition is solo and unassisted, and on Friday Doba tweeted that he would “attempt repairs without landing” in Bermuda.
New Smyrna Beach is the destination because Chmielinski and Hugh Granger, who are partners in a Virgina-based environmental consulting company, own a condominium off North Atlantic Avenue. The two men were charged with taking care of Doba once he arrived. According to a February 7th article in Canoe & Kayak magazine, Doba has already been at sea longer than any kayaker in history.
After the rudder is fixed, the decision on what happens next will be Doba’s alone, Chmielinski said. Doba had originally hoped to reach New Smyrna Beach by the end of this month.
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